Earth 93
On this earth, all myths appear to have some basis in reality, and magic lurks in the shadows of the modern world. Most ordinary humans are locked out of the loop of the supernatural-- both for the protection of some of those supernatural agents themselves (Witch hunts, anyone?), and because they are more easily able to manipulate humanity from the shadows. However, when it comes to people with higher ranks (ie, national level actors--like the President), it is an open secret. Some people on every level are aware of the supernatural, but most would simply be laughed off if they tried to reveal the truth to the outside world. Adult Humans in particular have an uncanny ability to ignore anything that doesn't fit with their preconceived notions about how the world works--meaning that oftentimes it is younger children who have an ability to see through magical glamours and tricks that would fool most any adult. Magical societies and creatures were hidden from society for several hundred years, but now many seek to take control, causing no small amount of chaos as various older forces in the supernatural community are fighting to preserve the status quo of secrecy, while radicals from various groups are trying into usher in a "brand new world" where the Supernatural is out in the open--usually with them in charge. History The Age of the Gods For countless years, the gods ruled over the Earth. They allowed Mortal rulers to rule directly but almost all were truly subject to one Patheon or another. From around by the time of the Indo-European Migration in 10,000 BC, the most powerful god in the west was their chief god Father Sky (Dyeus Phater). At an unknown time, probably ~3000 BC, the Titan Brother Time (called himself Father Time) or Wetos (Later called Kronos) rebelled from Father Sky and formed his own religon in what is today the Balkans. At first Father Sky ignored this because he was doing so well in Babylon, but he sponsored Posiden's (Not Zeus's) rebellion against Wetos/Kronos The Great Shadow Wars The Shadow wars were the conflict that ended the age of complete control by the gods. Afterwards, the gods still had great influence, but could rarely rule directly. They began with the human invention of iron, the starbane. Iron is an artificial metal and it is what kills stars. Iron has the power to disrupt magic and in certain situations it can even hurt the gods themselves. When humans invented irons and began spreading them to the other mortal races, it proved that the gods were not all powerful. This began the first Great Shadow War, known to modern mortals as the Bronze Age Collapse. The shadow wars continued as various pantheons manipulated mortals into fighting for them as a desperate attempt to regain their power. Arcane Involvement in the Middle Ages Facing pressure from the expansion of Clan Zduln, a group of Dwarves called Clan Khugn migrate upward away from the Deep Sea and were forced to establish a major presence above ground in the Eurasian Steppe. They used their craftsmanship and mineral wealth to establish relationships with several human tribes. After about a century learning the herding and horsemanship of this region they formed a coalition where the Dwarves of Clan Khugn were a minority, but held significant power. This coalition expanded westward and came into conflict with the Romans and many Germanic tribes. Eventually the coalition became called the Huns. Under the ruler Etzel, or Attila, they established a vast empire, though it fell apart in the 460s after Etzel was killed at a wedding. Historians disagree if Etzel was a pure dwarf or if he was half human. Dwarf scholars usually claim he was fully dwarf while human scholars disagree. WW2 or the Third Lesser Shadow War Arcane Axis and Allies When the Axis made their bid for world domination, they did not act alone. They were supported by the Vampire Clans of Élőhalott and Cruor, several of the main werewolf tribes supported the Axis a group of dark wizards called the Hexengrau, many Norse Gods, Olympians, several Kami, and many Demon Lords. The allies were suported by Thor and Baldr openly, Odin and Loki secretly, the Elves, the government of Niðavellir, The Seelie Court, and eventually The Unseelie Court. The Circle of the Wise was initially neutral, but agreed to support the Allies after the intervention of the Hexengrau. The Arcane Parley Background After the last great shadow war the magical and mundane powers of the world met in the ruined city of Carthage and wrote the Great Parley, which established rules regarding the way magical entities and powerful Mortals should interact. Provisions It set up a caste system for its signatories. Different ranks have different rights under the accords. It set up a system by which nations and powerful individuals all interact. This includes treaties backed by the Parley, which are heavily enforced, litigation under Parleyed law, and a system for duels and challenges. One of the most important laws of the Parley is that it must remain secret. Rankings The Parley set up a ranking system for its members. At the top were Scriptors, those who directly signed the Parley on behalf of their realms. This included high gods and emperors. Next were subscriptors. Those who commanded realms and could hand down authority to the people of their realms, but relied on Scriptors to be recognized under the Parley. After that there is nobility. This can be powerful corporate leaders, literal barons and dukes, or elected officials. Then there are retainers, tradesmen and warriors sword in service to Scriptors, subscriptors, or nobles. The last rank is subjects, most don't even know about the Parley. Magic Magic is a type of energy which certain creatures are able to manipulate, either by instinct, or through advanced study and training. It isn't, as in some stories, a substitute for physics and scientific understanding, but is best understood as something that physicists and modern scientists have failed to take into account when discovering the fundamental principles that govern how the world works. This means that, in many cases, magic works hand-in-hand with the principles of modern science, including physics, chemistry, biology, etc. The best practitioners of learned magic have at least a basic understanding of modern science, and apply that knowledge when doing magic. When performing magic, practitioners draw on Wells, sources of power based on concepts and emotions. Wells provide the physical energy used in magic, and effect the actions of the spell/enchantment. The well used has an affect on how the magic it produces can be used (This is why Wizards filter their spells through the Wells of staffs, while the staff's Well must get all its energy from other wells, it lets wizards use magic much more precisely and flexibly). Certain types of magic, such as necromancy, can only be used when drawing on a specific Well. Magic users are limited by the rate at which they can draw energy from a given Well, which is usually is determined by how connected they are to the Well. For smaller Wells, magic users must also be careful with how much they use because Wells only have a limited amount of energy which can be diminished. This energy does replenish over time though. There are minor wells, such as a magician's own source of power (Natural or Learned), and major wells such as Knowledge, Iron, Worship (which gods have access to), and even the Fae itself. Natural Magic Many creatures can practice magic based purely on instinct. Dwarves can enhance the crafting of metal and stone. Elves can practice minor works of magic just by singing. Creatures with natural magic automatically have their own wells which replenish depending on how healthy they are. Humans are the only known sentient creature that does not have instinctual access to magic. As a result early Elven philosophers did not even consider humans sentient. Learned Magic Ancient humans discovered that anyone could practice magic with enough study. It required extenisive study, not just of the magic itself, but all other aspects of the world. While very difficult to learn, this magic is extremely versatile and useful. It is only limited by the user's study and creativity. Part of the reason Learned Magic is so difficult is that humans have to form their own Well based on the Well of knowledge. This requires intense study. Limitations All types of learned magic cannot create their own energy. They must draw energy from the user's corporeal energy. The more skilled a magician is, the more extra energy they are able to draw from their own Well. Elemental Magic A mage may choose to dedicate themselves to a particular classical element. They start with a few simple spells and then keep studying their element until they learn its Name. Once they reach that point they area able to draw from their element's Well and manipulate their element intellectually through their own martial arts style movements. Spellcasting Learned magic, more than any other, involves spellcasting. A spell is any specific words or series of words that, when combined with magical energy result in some specific result. In general, the spells work best when the incantation (the words of the spell) is in a language the enchanter is not fluent in, to prevent word connotations from adding any unnecessary emotion into the spell (which would make the spell more powerful, but harder to control). There are various subtypes. * Evocation: '''a system of magic based on immediate effects. ** As soon as the incantation is uttered or the ritual completed the ecovation spell occurs. This makes it very useful for combat, but is also very useful for much smaller magics that are still time based. ** An Evocation spell can only draw on one Well. * '''Thaumaturgy: '''a system of magic based on links between objects or entities and sending or receiving energy between them. ** Very useful for seeking and sensing things as well as magical communication. ** Thamaturgy can draw from energy from multiple wells, and can convert physical energy (heat, kinetic energy, etc) into Well energy. As a result, well planned Thaumaturgy can be extremely effective (sometimes more explosive/dramatic than evocation) but it does require a lot of planning. '''Alchemy Alchemy is the discipline regarding transformation of entities, objects, and chemicals. Either changing their properties or their entire material/shape. Alchemy uses complicated processes to unbind the natures (alchemical properties) of various materials and objects and combine them in different ways with links to different Wells. Alchemy tends to draw on wells associated with specific materials. * Transmuation: '''the practice of using alchemy to change the properties of materials or objects. ** The two most famous Transmutations were the quest to turn Lead into Gold, and the quest to make the life granting Philosopher's Stone. While it is widely belived both have been achieved a few times throughout history, the knowledge has always been kept secret and lost. ** Transmutation works by drawing energy from Wells from the materials or properties that you're trying to Transmute into. * '''Transfiguration: The practice of using alchemy to transform an object into another object. ** Crucially, Transfiguration does not actually physically change the material of the object. Imagine the enormous energy and attention to detail that would be required to physically alter all the molecules in a human and turn them into a wolf. Instead Transfigures combine various Wells and Natures to create a new nature for the object and then superimpose the new nature onto the object. This is why transfiguration requires energy to keep a subjects transformed and why when the energy runs out the object reverts to its original form. ** Transfiguration requires energy from a Well to start a change, and it requires more energy from a Well continuously in order to maintain the change. * Potion making is another subfield of learned magic, in which practitioners combine various magical ingredients to create liquids that, when consumed or applied, have alchemical effects. ** The effects of Potions are varied. Potions can sometimes have more versatile effect than Transmutations. A single Potion can cause multiple Transmutations that effect one another. ** Some experienced wizards are able to come up with new formulae for potions under their own expertise, but most tend to use well-known recipes in various Potion-making texts. ** The materials of the potion determine what Wells it can draw on. It does not need to (and in fact is unable to) draw on the maker's personal Well, which makes it easier for non wizards to use than traditional spell casting. Ley Lines Earth is crisscrossed with streams, oceans, and lakes of magical energy, which are known as Ley lines. These lines tend to form around areas with lots of settlement and human/elf/dwarf activity. This is because the human/elf/dwarf emotions are a major source of magical energy, and the expression of such emotions releases magical energy, which accumulates over the years to form the aforementioned Ley Lines. If a place accumulates a very large amount of magical energy (forming a lake or ocean of magical energy so to speak), it can form a genius loci, which is a magical embodiment of the particular place. Experienced practitioners can claim such places as their sanctum by forming alliances with the genius loci. Such arrangements are dangerous, as genius loci often would rather be left alone, but if successful, the magic user gets much more powerful while in their sanctum, because of the massive energy source they can now tap into. Smaller Ley Lines can also be powerful Wells of magical energy, but are not always easy to find. Thresholds Similar to how Ley lines work, houses and other human dwellings are naturally protected by a form of magic called a threshold. They form from the feeling of safeness, security and comfort one has at home, and make it difficult for magical/supernatural creatures to invade dwellings. Crossing a threshold uninvited is excruciatingly painful for those who are naturally attuned to magic (and is more painful the more magical power one has--it is even lethal for many types of monsters, including Vampires, werewolves, and in general most shadowguilders). Humans lack the innate connection to magic that most races have, and hence often don't suffer ill effects from crossing thresholds. Human Wizards, however, are somewhat limited by this effect, and often have to forfeit one's ability once crossing a threshold uninvited for the extent of time that they are within the threshold. Classification of Magical Users Those who use Learned Magic are called Magicians. * A magician who knows the Name of an element and is very experienced in using it, is called a Elemancer. Pyromancers, Hydromancers, Aeromancers, and Geomancers are the most common and are thought of as the proper Elemancers. * Magicians who use Thamaturgy, a system of magic based on links between objects or entities and sending or receiving energy between them. * A The Realms Realms are extra-dimensional spaces created by beings of great power. When a Realm is created it is tied to a location and moment on Earth. That realm will only ever be accessible from that location, and its basic geography will always reflect the original moment of its inception, though it can become exaggerated over time and new buildings can be placed upon it. When traveling between realms one must always use the mortal world as a crossroads. Alternatively a realm may be tied to a single person or an object, but these realms are always much more limited and often the only person who can enter from outside is the creator. The smallest realms are the size of simple rooms. The largest created in living memory is the Faerieland which is estimated to be about the size of Alaska. There is a massive realm, the size of the entire Earth, called the Veil, or the Shade. The Realm is dark and misty, very hard to navigate. Wizards use the Shade to gather extra mass they need for transmutation, to draw souls needed for necromancy, and to store heat they draw away from another source. When souls die they enter the shade temporarily before eventually fading and theoretically ascending to the care of God. As a consequence, many death gods made realms within the Shade called Underworlds, which store souls in various afterlives and delay the process by which souls go to the true divine afterlives. The laws of physics may not apply in the various realms as well as they do on the mortal plane, causing time to pass at different rates in different realms, as well as giving the inhabitants of various realms power to say a big "screw you" to physics while inside their realms, if they so choose. Forming a (minor) Realm is one of the more commonly used forms of Learned Magic among experienced Wizards, to the point where experienced Wizards often create small realms to function as their base of operations or as a secret hideout. It is believed that mortals can even create minor realms while they dream, connected to them instead of a specific location. Realms require a certain amount of magical energy to create, and require more energy the larger the space is. Major realms include the Fae, Avalon, Mount Olympus, Ljosalfheim, The City of Shadows, and The Plutonian Underworld. The Deepsea for more information, see here: Earth 93-The Deep Ecology In the distant past, humanoid creatures discovered an underground ocean that connects many cave systems. Because of high radiation (due to submerged isotopes) and high temperatures (due to nearby magma flows) the Deepsea produces a lot of light through Cherenkov Radiation. This light in turn feeds a great deal of algae (and thus indirectly cave fish) and also feeds a variety of lichens and plants within the caves and also provides a lasting supply of air for the many creatures from here. As a side effect, the radiation feeds a variety of mushrooms and other fungi. Cave animals eat the plants and each other. The Dwarves and Goblins grow food in the Deepsea's light and hunt/herd cave animals. Trolls prey/herd animals and sometimes even hunt Dwarves and Goblins. Shared History of the Deepsea Inhabitants The Goblins resented the pet status imposed on them by Dwarves and Trolls, a grudge extending to all current living goblins, which are the descendants of those Goblins domesticated by the Trolls. Around the time agriculture was developed the Dwarves became better able to defend themselves and the Goblins began an uprising. The Dwarves hate the Trolls because they preyed on them for centuries. The Trolls consider the Dwarves inferior upstarts who took the Deep Sea away from them. The Trolls regard Goblins as little more than cattle while the Goblins obviously hate the trolls for treating them like animals. The Dwarves see the Goblins as scavengers and thieves and probably have some examples of atrocities in their early history to justify later hatred, while the Goblins resent the Dwarves for not helping them and not letting them have land on the Deepsea, the Goblins consider themselves to be the ones that history never gave a real chance to. When agriculture was invented they all needed access to the limited area that borders the Deepsea because that's the best place to grow food. The Dwarves control 70% of the land area around and in islands within the Deepsea. The Trolls control 25%, the Goblins only control 5%. Races The Mortal Races * Humans - The most common of the Mortal races and the only one which is not entirely magic sensitive. Humans can only sense magic if they are trained to do so. Before the widespread use of iron, humans were widely seen as simple worship fodder by the gods. Before the Industrial Revolution, they were seen as simple minded subjects by the other races. * Dwarves - Dwarves are said to have hidden underground in the mists of time where they adapted to the darkness and depth. To fit in tunnels they became shorter and stockier. They learned to ecolocate like bats or dolphins. Their hands are strong but very dexterous. Their sense of touch is much better than humans. Their average natural lifespan is 4-5 times longer to humans, but they usually die before then do to feats of daring and danger. They are well-known for having long beards (often down to their knees), as is the style for both male and female dwarves. ** The CIA, in flagrant violation of long established, (albeit somewhat racist) policies against supplying dwarves with wands, has been selling them black market ones, in the hopes of overthrowing the Elder Conclave (so they can be replaced by a more American equivalent). * Elves - Evolved to be like humans except with access to magic. They are taller, longer lived, faster, and better at magic. Some Elves tend to hold themselves as morally as well as physically superior to humans, but history has shown them to be as fallible as humans, if not more so. They have more weaknesses than they admit. They are slightly less strong then humans, but their most significant weakness is their lower pain tolerance. Their average lifespan is 4-5 times longer than humans. * Gnomes- A race of tiny predators and scavengers who in past ages were predators hunting elves. They're small and fast, deceitful and nigh invisible, with razor sharp teeth and a reputation for having no mercy in combat. When they choose to be visible they look like three foot tall, old men and women. While often predatory, many are quite nice. Older Gnomes lose their predatory urges and are known for their wisdom and diplomacy. The one thing all gnomes agree on, is a hatred of Black Magic. All Gnomes produce an anti black magic field which makes black magic harder to cast within their immediate vicinity. * Pixies - Flying humanoids. The smallest is little bigger than a dragon fly. The biggest is about the size of a small child. They glow with a light that accelerates healing in other species. * Trolls- Large sentient beings from the mountains and underground caves. They are big and tough, but physically slow and rock-like in appearance. * Goblins- Small sentient beings from the Deep. They are reptilian in appearance, have venomous fangs, and have a scavenger culture. * Wizards- humans, dwarves, or elves with the ability to do Learned Magic, which gives them enhanced lifespan as well as a slight healing factor. Only the most powerful and learned magicians are considered Wizards. * Shapeshifters- Humans, elves, or dwarves who have the magical ability to change their form into that of different animals. Some have this as their only magical ability, while others have this in addition to other magics. Shapeshifting is a very difficult form of learned magic, but is extremely useful to those who work hard enough to achieve it. * Berserkers: Warrior Humans or dwarves with an ability to go into a state known as berserker rage if incensed enough. This state gives the berserker superhuman strength and durability, as well as being very terrifying to observe. * Knights Errant- Humans, Elves, and Dwarves who are Parleyed Knights in service to either a church or nation, but go on quests to fight monsters and defend the innocent instead of simply serving their lords. They fight all the monsters listed above, but especially demons. Many are affiliated with various religious orders, but religiosity is certainly not a requirement. Immortals and the Undead * Gods- a variety of very powerful figures, who had been worshiped in different eras. Most are content to be resigned to the pages of history, but some are trying to make a comeback. * Angels- mystical beings aligned with the Judeo-Christian God, who strive to prevent the machinations of Demons when they try to interfere with free will (which is all the time). * Demons- beings who rebelled against the Judeo-Christian God, and now spend their times trying to control humans in order to get their souls. Once they get these souls, they can possess the human/elf/dwarf whose soul it was, which imbues the form with new powers. Some demons specialize in making deals with mortals for their souls in exchange for certain things the mortal wants. Such deals are incredibly dangerous, because, while a demon will usually not directly lie, they often will twist the terms of the deal to give the human something they didn't really want, and then claim the soul for their own. They are unkillable, but can be banished from this plane or exorcised from the body of their victims. * Monsters- include a variety of creatures that prey on normals in the night, most of whom have lifespans expanded to the point where they could feasibly live forever, if no one kills them with their various weaknesses- ** Vampires- Shapeshifters who feed on human blood. They can transform themselves into really pretty people or bats, if they so choose, and their stare can hypnotize people into doing their bidding. Their weaknesses include objects of faith, direct sunlight, and they really don't like garlic. Most vampires also have some obsessive tendencies, including sometimes a compulsion to count small items. ** Zombies- corpses animated to do the bidding of the truly evil: Necromancers (wizards who bring things back from the dead). Animating a Zombie is a cruel act, separating the soul of the corpse from reality. Zombies do actually contain part of the spirit of the person whose body it once was, but they lack free will, trapped in their own rotting corpse. Zombies can only be re-killed if the spell that enchanted their reanimation is destroyed. Usually Necromancers use some kind of focus to keep the spell going, and destroying this focus unravels the spell. ** Ghouls- Human-shaped-man-eating monstrosities who revel in causing pain to their victims before consuming them. They can die pretty much any way humans can, but they are generally much tougher than humans are. ** Skinwalkers- shapeshifting creatures from Native American Mythology, who get power from being feared and causing suffering. Really hard to kill, short of all-out nuclear war. ** Mindeaters- Flying cloaked figures who literally eat away people's positive emotions and thoughts, leaving people emotionally destroyed, and/or completely insane. Their weakness is the expression of true love or compassion towards their victims. Such expressions are a purer form of magic than Mindeaters can handle, and, if the expression is pure and open enough, such expressions cause the Mindeater's head to explode. ** Shadowmen - Monsters who feed on fear, and do this by transforming themselves into whatever their target fears most. Formerly known as Boogeymen, until humanity stopped taking that name seriously/began to laugh at them. Their one weakness is laughter. ** Werewolves- Humans, elves, or dwarves cursed to turn into a wolf in the light of the full moon. Oftentimes more sympathetic than most monsters, as most lack control of their wolf forms and are generally horrified by the destruction they leave in their path. Some, however, embrace their inner wolf, and go full on evil. Their weakness is silver. ** The Lecherous Liches- beings who remain undead and beautiful by feeding off of the energy of the young, specifically through sex. They are addicted to sex, and, if they go too long without it, they will waste away into nothing. ** Ghosts- Souls who, for whatever reason, refuse to move on after death. Often it is the spirit of one who had unfinished business to deal with in their life. Cannot really be killed as such (being already dead), but can be banished from this plane into the next one with the right spells or if the unfinished business on this plane is finished somehow. ** Beyonders- Eldritch Horrors from beyond the fringes of reality. Their very existence on this plane warps reality, giving them powers only few can effectively combat alone. Similar to Skinwalkers, they are very difficult to kill, but can be banished to wherever they came from by a powerful spellcaster. * Faeries- are divided into two courts: Seelie and Unseelie, or Summer and Winter. The Summer (Seelie) court is made up of faeries who tend to be nicer, and the Winter (Unseelie) Court is made up of the meaner faeries. The two courts spend most of their time in a Cold War state of mutually assured aggression and proxy wars, as they are bitter enemies. All of the sentient mortal races can join courts, but doing so requires one to swear allegiance to the court above all others, meaning one's membership in other organizations may be revoked. ** Many dwarves and elves are part of one of the courts. Those who have joined seem to change. They gain power but their personality is slowly but surely altered to align with the philosophy of the courts. They stop being able to lie, for Summer they become more compassionate, for winter they become more aggressive. However, Faeries still have distinct and diverse personalities. Not all elves, dwarves or pixies are aligned with one of those two courts. Some strike out on their own, and others join other organizations. ** Humans can also join the court though only if they are below the age of thirteen. Once they join they will grow to become more dwarflike, elflike, or pixielike. ** Sidhe: As Faieries advance in the court and grow in power they change slowly until they become one of the Sidhe. The sidhe are completely ageless and incredibly powerful. They will slowly lose the distinctive features of their original race. They appear to be exceptionally beautiful and strong humans, though given their incredible powers of illusions, some think they use magic to enhance their beauty. * Dragons- winged flying lizards that breathe fire. Very cunning and very dangerous, they love treasure and often are found in caves, with a massive treasure hoard. There are two variations. ** The most common dragons, (lower case) are just interesting animals. ** The much rarer Dragons, also called Lóng, are to common dragons as humans are to apes. They have an intelligence equal to or beyond humans and are immensely powerful. * Dream-Creatures- creatures born of the imagination of children. They are the imaginary friends of children. They are only visible to children, and those who still have the imagination of a child. Whenever their children grow and forget them, they waste away and die, unless adopted by someone else. Major Organizations * Members of the Arcane Parley - Almost all powerful institutions, both mundane and magical, are members of the Arcane Parley. They agree to a set of rules and laws about mystical governance and conflict. Members of the Arcane Parley are organized into different socio-political ranks similar to feudal social structure. ** The Markmoot - Every 13 years the Scriptors of the Arcane Parley meet for one Fortnight in a legislature called the Markmoot. The Markmoot decides whether or not to accept new Scriptors (which rarely happens), whether to add new laws, if there is any a united front they should work together on, and most importantly: who the masters of the Reeveguild should be. ** The Reeveguild - The shadowy organization charged with maintaining the laws of the Arcane Parley. Most importantly, they keep the details of the hidden and magical world secret from the general public. Agents of the Reeveguild are recruited from Parley members but once recruited they are required to forswear their previous allegiances and some of their memories are voluntarily removed to ensure they are impartial. Reeveguild tactics usually center around manipulating others into doing their work for them. Their work has intensified in recent years as they are forced to cleanse the internet of any correct rumors regarding magic and the Parley. * The Circle of the Wise - They evolved from the remains of the Parliament of the Wise, an international organization formed by the magical scientists and scholars who served as advisers around the world, the original Wizards. The Parliament fell apart due to internal fighting but its remains became the government of the Circle, called the Elder Conclave. The Elder Conclave formed the Circle to recognize (and to a limited degree regulate) Wizards around the known world. However, unlike the Parliament, they did not try to be a unified political group. They allow their members to fight. The Council derives its authority under the Parley from the Parliament of the Wise which was one of the early Scriptors. Each Wizard is considered a Noble of the Parley. The lowest is ranked as an earl. Employees of the Circle who are not powerful enough to be considered Wizards, are listed as retainers. The Circle of the Wise is committed to ensuring that the world of the Arcane remains secret. ** The Elder Conclave - A self perpetuating oligarchy of the oldest and most powerful Wizards. The Elder Conclave primarily enforces the Edictorum Arcani, the primary laws of magic. They allow the Wizards within the council to oppose one another and sometimes even fight, as long as they don't violate the Edicts or challenge council power. Each Elder of the Conclave is ranked as a Subscriptor with the rank of a Duke. The Elder Conclave as a whole has the rank of a king. They command a group of combat Wizards called the Watchers. ** The Watchers: A group of combat Wizards. They are loyal to the Elder Conclave and enforce the Edicts. Each Wizard is counted as a Knight in service to the Elder Conclave. * The Black Circle- An organization made up of many high-ranking practitioners of Black Magic (including Mind Control, Necromancy, and other such forbidden magics). They started out as a group of activists who wanted to reinstate the Parliament of the Wise. They turned to dark magic to achieve their ends. One of their tenets is that magic and the secret societies should be made public knowledge. * The Guild of Shadows- A loose alliance of the many predatory monster clans, including the Vampires, the Ghouls, certain twisted Ghosts (like those of history's serial killers), Shadowmen, Mindeaters, some Skinwalkers, but not Beyonders. Even Shadowguilders are afraid of Beyonders. * The Princes of Blood: Eleven noble Clans of Vampires. Each one is ruled by royal family of Ancient Vampires who are the sires of almost all the other vampires in their house. The three most powerful are Clan Élőhalott (undead users of black magic), Clan Cruor (imperialist bat monsters), and Clan Mircallian, (younger and hipper vampires). Clan Élőhalott and Clan Cruor wants to keep Arcane happenings secret, but Clan Mircallan wants to make them known so that they can rule openly. * The Alchemists Guild: A group of master technicians and corporations involved in applied science pursuits. Notable members of the past include the Collegium Vasculariorum, Leonardo Da Vinci, Edison General Electric Company, and Niccola Tesla. Notable members of the present include Elon Musk, Fackelträger Incorporated, and Google. * The Wolf Reich Tribes - Werewolves are divided into several different tribes, based on how the wolf mantle is passed on. These clans are often in conflict, but have a group of arbiters called the Lycaon Council, which mediates disputes over territory and tribal law. Various tribes include (but are not limited to) the Sang Tribe (whose lycanthropy is genetic), and the Mantel Tribe (who pass down magical items of clothing which allow the user to transform into a wolf), and the Zahn Tribe (of those who pass down their lycanthropy via biting),. * The Seelie (Summer) Court- basically a monarchial nation of nicer Faeries. * The Unseelie (Winter) Court- A rival monarchial nation to the Seelie Court, this Court houses many of the more nasty faeries. * The Order of the Cruciform Sword- A massive international network of Knights, who go on quests in the name of the Christian God, with the ultimate Goal of redeeming all who are in the thrall of demons. * Temptation Incorporated- A massive organization of Demons, poorly disguised as an international corporation of perfume sellers. * The Eyeglass Society- a secret society of librarians, who are a group of researchers who want to prevent magical secrets from being destroyed and even want to reveal them to the world. As a result they are currently involved in a secret war with the Reeveguild. Their motto: "Stilus Fortior Gladio". * The Torchlight Party- a political party of normal humans in the know of the supernatural who want it revealed to the world. Surprisingly powerful, as it contains a great many political leaders across the globe as well as having decent grassroots support in certain communities. Notable People Historical Figures Gods * Ahriman: AKA Lucifer, Agra Mainyu, Belial. He is so deceptive that no one knows what his true origin is. The most widely accepted theory is that he was the most powerful of God's angels, but he secretly rebelled some time between the formation of Earth and the evolution of Humans. ** Ahriman was put on trial for secretly subverting god's will and was almost acquitted by the angelic (and not directly controlled by god) court of angels, before the prosecuter, and angel called the Accuser (or Ha-Satan in hebrew), proved his guilt. Enraged, Ahriman led a rebellion against heaven but was defeated. However, Ahriman had his revenge against the accuser, by infiltrating Jewish and Christian sects and making them think Ha-Satan and Ahriman were one and the same. ** No one is certain of the full extent of Ahriman's deeds. It is said that while drunk at Dyonisus's bar he claimed to have wiped out the Dinosaurs. Humans * Merlin: A time traveling magician who was one of the founding members of the Parliament of the Wise and negotiated the Arcane Parley. No one is absolutely sure where he comes from or where he went. ** Some say he was born in Britain in a timeline in which neither the Parliment of the Wise, nor the Arcane Parley ever existed, and that the world was being ripped apart by the bickering of wizards and gods. They say he learned the arts of time travel from an itinerant wizard and made his way to the Parthian dynasty of Persia where he set in motion the creation of the Arcane Parley and the Parliament of the Wise. ** The main opposition to this theory is that most evidence suggests that Time Travel cannot change the past once the future has been observed, which is backed up by Merlin's confirmed time travel trips in which he never changed the past. ** Equally mysterious is the question of where he went after the fall of Arthur's kingdom. Most say he was betrayed by an apprentice. At lest that's what is said by Ambrosius, the cool old mysterious guy who spends spends most of his time guarding the Citadel of Avalon and its vault of powerful artifacts. * King Arthur: A Romano-Celtic leader who united the Picts, Celts, and Saxons of Albion and created the 30 year Pax Albiona with Merlin's help in which none of the major Arcane powers went to war. * Napoleon: Napoleon made a big splash in the arcane community when he tried to gain status as a Scriptor. Most European countries had subscriptor status under the Catholic Church. When Napoleon crowned himself, instead of letting the pope do it, he asserted that he should be made a Scriptor. ** He tried to get the other Scriptors to support him. He invaded Italy and gave Clan Cruor positions of power. He gave werewolves free reign in certain forests. He even shifted traffic to the right side of the road so that carts would move clockwise around certain leyline intersections to woo the suport of the Summer Court. However, Britain and several others did not support him. ** He failed to sue for status as a Scriptor, so he tried to claim the Scriptor Status of Rome which the Czar of Russia currently claimed. To back up his claim he tried to conquer the other primary claimant. This was the reason for his disastrous defeat in Russia. * Major Wizards of the Circle of the Wise ** High Medieval Court Wizards: Michael Scot, Abraham Abulafia, Albertus Magnus, Ramon Llull, Ímar Ua Donnubáin ** Late Medieval: Nicolas Flamel, Gilles de Rais, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, ** Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin was a wizard of the Wise Circle. He sued for American status as a Scriptor. He was unsuccessful, but set the ground work for America's eventual uplifting to Scriptor status as an incentive to not intervene in the Napoleonic Wars. * Albert Einstein: Once a promising young magical apprentice who worked at the Circle of the Wise offices in Switzerland. However, he grew bored of Magic and decided to focus on physics instead * Eisenhower: A Knight of the Cruciform Sword who fought the Nazis as a General and fought the Soviets as President. * J.R.R. Tolkien: Tolkien had some knowledge of the supernatural world when he imagined his world and the languages that occupied it. He correctly deduced that the Finnish languages were related to Elvish and how many other languages were related to the various secret civilizations. His imagined languages were very different, though surprisingly close, to the real thing. Current Figures * Jordan Alexander: A speech writer and author who ended up becoming a Knight Errant in service to the Presbytery. * Stephen Woden: A physicist who discovered magic by accident. He is now an amateur Wizard, and he is the CIA officer in charge of the Dwarf Rearmament Program. He only has the rank of a Retainer but is a Knight is service to the Scriptor of the US Constitution. * James Woden: A programmer and businessman who runs a Corporate Noble House under the Arcane Parley. He has the rank of a baron. * Sean Raymond: An ambassador in service to the Arcane Parley. * Cecilia Amity: A Watcher, as part of the Circle of the Wise. constantly trying to stop her radical reformist partner from revealing Magic to the world. * Anne Road: A radical reformist watcher, seeking to forgo the Arcane Parlay and reveal magic to the world. * Jin Wei: A Chinese Buisnessman with the rank of a Baron. He has many buisness interests in the normal and supernatural world. He is famous for negotiating a deal with Chinese Mermaids to protect his shipping in the pacific. * Alan Li : The current Speaker of the Elder Conclave. He is from Hong Kong and is at odds with the Chinese Communist Party. He is a staunch traditionalist and wants to maintain the authority of the Conclave and the domain of the circle. * Sam Graves: An American Detective operating out of Seattle who specializes in the Supernatural. Has no supernatural powers himself, but gets by with his wits and trusty revolver. He is currently being secretly employed by Alan Li (who he dislikes) to watch possible renegade Wizards. He has a mysterious past; Sam Graves isn't even his real name. He is, however, known to have been classically educated at St. Johns. * Charles Oswald: A partner at Sam Graves' detective firm. Intelligent, well-educated and soft-spoken, he styles himself a younger Sherlock Holmes, but he has a lot to learn. * Kate Sharma: An Indian-American wizard and investigative journalist. Known for being an ex-renegade. She is now a full member of the Circle of the Wise and is even a Watcher, but is still distrusted by many for choosing morals over Circle Law. She is now a collaborator of Sam Graves and defends Seattle from magical threats. * Cyrus Rahmani: A lawyer, and Wizard. After his parents died he left Iran to live with his Uncle in America. He and Kate were both taught by the same mentor and dated briefly. * Duncan MacLennan: A Wizard and ex-member of the Elder Conclave. He mentored Kate Sharma and Cyrus Rahmani. He is a veteran of the Napoleonic wars and was appointed as a temporary member of the Elder Concalve during the Second World War. * Julia Weir: An ex-fighter pilot and current bartender and mercenary. During the Iraq war her plane was shot down but she was saved by a Wizard. * Abean McMidir: A conman and Sidhe agent of the Winter Court. He is a very skillful conman despite being technically unable to lie. He is amoral, but was tricked into swearing an oath to never kill a human and to protect the humans of Seattle from monsters by Sam Graves, and has been bound by his oath ever since. * Jackie the Kid- a 30 year old woman with the imagination of a child, and sometimes ally of Sam Graves, whose childhood imagination never died, leaving her protector of a veritable army of Dream Creatures. Often underestimated, but ultimately always someone you want watching your back. * Holly Hellstrom- A very powerful necromancer and regional leader of the Guild of Shadows in Seattle. Because of a curse put on her family when she was very young, she has the appearance of an adorable eight-year-old girl, and cannot physically age past it, despite having been alive for over a century. * Valentine van Schwarzenberg - a powerful rogue vampire from Clan Mircallian. Flies under the radar of most groups because his name is so outlandishly vampire-like that nobody would really suspect him of being one. * Damien Lewis- A truly evil man. His real name is shrouded in mystery. Some claim he is the original Faust, after having lost all morality after his deal with the devil. Others believe him to be the original Judas, or any of countless poor souls who tried to outwit the Devil himself. What is known is that he has lived for hundreds, maybe thousands of years because he sold his soul to the devil. An unrepentant causer of mayhem and destruction as well as a dangerously effective tempter, he is a dangerous enemy of the Knights of the Cruciform Sword. * Cynthia Reynard- One of the rare werewolves not directly affiliated with the major tribes, she is an active member of the Eyeglass Society. She is one of the few historians of supernatural history, and has written several texts on the subject, which she guards at one of the Eyeglass Society's Archives. * Mallory Thomas- A Knight of the Cruciform sword and Jordan Alexander's wife. Was cursed to have the worst luck imaginable in the line of duty by a demon. Still, she soldiers on. It helps when you always have someone to have your back. * Dimitri Zima: The Scriptor of the Russian federation. He seeks to expand his power and restore Russian Hegemony. There are rumors of an alliance with the Winter Court.